Showing great resilience and political acumen in the face of an attempted disruption, Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee gave a great speech at the University of Oxford’s Kellogg College on Thursday, March 27. The college, one of the university’s most distinguished institutions, hosted, what it described as, “a public conversation” with her during her week-long tour of the United Kingdom.

It was on the invitation of Professor Jonathan Michie, Pro-Vice-Chanellor of Oxford University and the President of Kellogg College, from the stage of the Bengal Global Busines Summit in 2024 that Banerjee visited Oxford.

The website of Kellogg College, in its news on the speech, described her thus: “As one of India’s leading women politicians, Banerjee has not only broken barriers in politics but has also made significant strides in empowering women in leadership roles. Her visit provided an opportunity to explore her journey to leadership, and her promotion of women’s rights and social development.”

More than 200 people attended the event and hundreds more watched the livestream, informed the college’s website.

As per this article, “The Chief Minister opened the evening with remarks centred on the themes of social development and women’s empowerment. She shared details about her government’s initiatives to uplift marginalised communities and empower women in West Bengal. Among the programmes she highlighted were Kanyashree Prakalpa, a cash incentive scheme for school-going girls, and Lakshmir Bhandar, which provides cash endowments to women, both of which have had a transformative impact on the lives of many.”

Speaking on social development, Banerjee presented a detailed account of the development schemes of her government and projects that have made a big difference to the people of Bengal, like Kanyashree Prakalpa and Lakshmir Bhandar.

On unemployment, a major issue in India under the Prime Minister Modi-led NDA government over the last many years, she pointed out that Bengal had reduced the unemployment rate by 46 per cent from financial year 2017-18 to 2023-24, generating more than two crore jobs.

She was also candid enough when needed. “The state has to depend on self-help groups,” she said, but added as well that it has “set up 1.2 million self-help groups”.

“Bengal is number one in small scale industries, (in the) IT sector we have done great deal of improvement. Kolkata has become an IT hub and education hub.”

Health is also a sector in which Bengal has done well, a fact buttressed by the fact of the Union government awarding health institutions of the state on a regular basis despite its political animosity. “Institutional delivery stood at 60 per cent when our government came to power but now the figure has reached 99 per cent and within a year it will reach 100 per cent, she said.

Midway through the speech, however, a small group of protesters briefly interrupted, shouting questions about her political stance and recent events in her state. It occurred while Banerjee was discussing investment proposals secured by her government during the Bengal Global Business Summit (BGBS).

Some in the audience claimed that major industries, including the Tatas, had left Bengal. Banerjee dismissed this outright. “That’s not true. Please find out, there is Tata Consultancy Service, Cognizant in Bengal,” she shot back.

When questioned about the RG Kar Medical College issue, she refused to comment, citing the ongoing legal process.

However, the majority of the audience called for the Chief Minister to be allowed to speak uninterrupted.

Mamata Banerjee took the disruption in her stride, displaying the great political acumen and strength of character that has made her a name to reckon with in the national politics of India.

Referring to the distuptors－of whom there were just “10-12”, she did not forget to say－she said, “You cannot disrespect your institution. Some Left friends and some communal friends might have attempted this. I will come to the university twice every year. Didi is just like Royal Bengal tigress,” which made the crowd break into a round of enthusiastic clapping.

Banerjee used her speech to stress the need for communal harmony. “Our mission is to see there should not be any discrimination among students, women, farmers and workers. We must consider all the people as human beings. Without humanity, this world cannot run, continue or sustain. I believe so. That is why we started saying that Bengal is a place for Maa Maati Maanush.”

With Kellogg College President Jonathan Michie and Bynum Tudor Fellow Lord Karan Bilimoria in attendance, Banerjee also urged Oxford University to consider opening a campus in Kolkata.